Everybody lies
by Kiara-orwhatever
Summary: She wasn't the daughter of the junkie she knew, but she found out when she was seventeen. The last thing she said to her moher as that she hated her. Two years later, Lucas, a british, arrogant, annoying but rather handsome jerk became her personal stalker. Sort of. Rated T for the language...for now.
1. 4 AM

**Author's note:** Hi, this is my first story -published- and I would love some review, to know what you think and all...I'm not a native english speaker, so any mistakes, I apologize.

Anyway, have fun reading!

-K

**_4 AM_**

I'm running fast, it's cold. The smell in the air is the smell of my perfume, mixed with something else, like a man's perfume. It's a strange scent I'm not familiar with.

I'm in a forest. A moon-lighted forest of tall, black trees.

I hear my heavy breaths and it's the only sound I can sense.

I feel the angst, the fear, the desperation and the adrenaline running through my veins. It's running through me like I am in the woods.

Suddenly, I can't run anymore, an excruciating pain in my leg it's making me stop, coming right up to my spine, I look down and my left ankle's trapped in a bear trap.

I release myself trying not to cut myself.

I keep running, the pain torturing me.

A man-shaped silhouette makes me stop, the only thing I can distinguish are the red eyes, glowing like demon-like fireflies.

I can hear its laughter, it's like velvet, a soft sound that does nothing but scare me.

The silhouette walks slowly towards me.

Defiantly, I don't take a step back, it keeps moving, I look around, as if looking for the easiest way to escape, look back at it, and its eyes are no longer red, but green. It's a light, bright green contrasting the black of its form.

I wake up, the night stand light still on, allowing me to see the clock on the wall.

4 AM.

It's the third night of the second week on a row that I wake up at this time, after that same dream. Or should I say _nightmare_?

Outside, Queens is as shady as always. The drug dealers are making their _business_ right beneath my window, as usual. I despise their kind. I hate them with my whole heart. I know the damage they can cause and I hate them for it.

My mother is not back from the club yet, but should be in any minute.

4:15, nothing changes, except for the light of a police car lightning up the room red and blue for a moment, speeding up, the sirens' noise becomes increasingly distant.

And rhythmic beating on the wall behind my bed breaks the silence, after, a girl moaning and screaming out of pleasure join in, making me growl in disgust.

Getting up, I go to the kitchen, where I know I won't be able to hear my neighbors' late night sex.

To get a cup, I don't even need to open the door of the counter, since it has the glass missing.

A glass of water is not enough to calm my thirst, so by the fourth I feel slightly better.

"Charlie, what are you doing awake?" my mom asks as soon as she enters the kitchen, in response, I show her the cup of water I haven't finished.

She leaves for the living room, where a couch from charity is all the furniture we have left, after we had to sell everything else.

"How was work?" I ask her as she massages her feet.

"It was good" she says.

Liar.

"Disgusting as usual, right?" I insist.

"Charlie, we've had this-"

"We've had this conversation; the money is good, even if you have to clean after people's messes, disgusting as it is, since a motel is not exactly a five-star hotel, but the money is good, we need it, I get it" I cut her off by quoting her very own words, the mocking tone present.

"If you get it, the why you insist on-"

"I said I get it, not that I accept it" cut her off, again.

Rubbing her temples, she announced she was going to bed.

"I found some document last night after you went to work" I said before she closed the door.

"I'll see it in the morning" she said.

"Okay" I replied droningly.

"Night" we both said at the same time.

I stared for a while her closed door before I went to my bedroom.

Before lying down, I followed with my index finger the cracks on the walls, knowing them perfectly ever since I saw for the first time four years ago.

Like the brunches of a giant tree, the cracks were everywhere.


	2. 6 AM

_**6 AM**_

"Where did you find this?" my mom asked after I handed her the document I had found yesterday.

"Oh, I thought you said you had to go to work"

"Where did you find it?" she insisted.

"That's not the important part of it" I spat back.

"Where the hell did you find this, Charlotte Jones!?" she yelled.

"Is that even my real name!?" I yelled back.

"Tell me where you found it, because if you went through my stuff, I swear-"

"You swear what? What can you do?" I asked slowly "Who the fuck is Howard Stark, mom!? Why is not my father's name in that fucking paper!?" I burst out.

She said nothing.

"Did he know about this? He never had a clue, did he?" I hissed "For how long did you cheat on him? Do I have any other siblings? Look at me! Look me in the eye and tell when the fuck you were planning to tell me the goddamn truth!" I screamed feeling my throat sore.

"Never" she whispered.

"What?"

"You were not supposed to find out"

I laughed disbelievingly

"Are you serious?" I asked "Are fucking kidding me!? Are you even my real mother? Whose daughter am I!?"

"You father's name is in that birth certificate" she said after a while "Back in the day, we had an affair, I used to work for him, I was the person who cleaned his office"

"How can I know that's the truth?"

"You'll have to trust me"

"No way in hell I'm doing that again." I hissed feeling my eyes burn, but I was too proud (still am) to let her see me cry, so I added "Ever"

Something flickered in her eyes, pain most likely, but in the moment I didn't care.

"Howard was a handsome man, with problems in his marriage. Your father and I-"

"He's not my father" I cut her off.

"We were having issues, I couldn't get pregnant, he was infertile, so he stopped touching me, one day, Howard heard me on the phone, guessed what was all the fuzz about and talked to me, not like my boss, but as a friend who was having kind of the same problem"

"Oh, and magically you got pregnant after one conversation, right?" I snapped when she went silent.

She shook her head and continued.

"Eventually, that friendship turned into an affair-"

"Because it was really hard to keep your hands to yourself" I sneered.

"Erik was having an affair, too" she defended herself, not calling him my father.

"So you both fucked up, I get it, that doesn't explain me" I insisted

"Howard and I ended up when his wife found out, so Erik and I tried to fix our marriage, just like Howard and Mary did, then, I found out I was pregnant with you, the doctor said I had six weeks, but Erik and I have made amends for like two weeks, therefore you were Howard's"

"Oh, joy" I mocked "Did my fa- Did Erik know?"

"He found out when we had to sell the house after getting fired"

And suddenly, everything started to make sense.

"You caused it, not me!" I said "He found out I'm not his daughter and that's why he became a fucking meth junkie! Not because I had disappointed him over something! You caused it!"

"Charlie, I'm so-"

"Now you're sorry!? I've been blaming myself for his addiction for five fucking years! You knew it was not my fault and you let me think it was, anyway! You are a goddamn liar! My whole life is one big fat lie because of you and your littler lover! You were a slut who just couldn't keep her pants on!" I spat angrily.

The burn of a well-earned slap on my left cheek made me let go of the tears.

"How dare you?" she said through her teeth "How dare you saying that? I loved your father and I-"

"Oh, please, be more specific, because I'm not sure which one you're talking about" I sneered venomously.

"You're my daughter, Charlotte, Erik raised you, and he's your father, not Howard, who fired me after I told him about you!"

"You had it coming, but I'll take a wild guess and say it was his wife's doing"

"How can you be so cruel?" she asked, sounding defeated.

I looked at her, and the pained look in her face, in other circumstances, would have been enough for me to punch her current boss or yell at the person who caused it, but this time was different.

She looked at me, pursed her lips, shook her head, and taking her bag, she headed for the door.

"Wait" I called when her hand reached the doorknob "You know I hate liars, right?" I asked her.

"I know that"

"Just so there are no doubts"

"Yeah?"

"I hate you… Liar" I said without even looking at her, the sound of the door closing after that and her rushed steps on the other side were the only noise for a moment.


	3. 12 PM

**_12 PM_**

"I think you went too far" Chloe said when I finished telling her about the fight, that was two damn weeks after it.

"I went too far?" I asked her "Have you lost your mind?" I asked as I cleaned the fancy glasses of the restaurant.

"Okay, she lied to you, I give you that, but maybe she did it to protect you"

"Protect me of what exactly?"

"How could I know? Your dad's dead, anyways, so it's not like your relationship with him will be affected"

I looked at her disbelievingly, how could she possibly defend my mother, be so harsh about my so-called father just like that!

I scoffed, shook my head knowing I was frowning and turned on my heels, heading to the kitchen.

"Charlie!" Chloe called after me.

"Leave me alone" I snapped

"Hey, I didn't mean it like that!"

"No, you did mean it like that" I replied "But that doesn't mean it doesn't hurt" I admitted.

"I'm sorry" she said.

"What are you sorry for? It's not your fault I'm a bastard child" I said sarcastically.

She eyed me like I was crazy, I knew why, so I said.

"I sounded like a fucking Shakespeare character"

"Yeah, pretty much" she mocked

We both laughed, like it was the only thing left to do.

"We need napkins out there, anyways, so this little trip here wasn't utterly useless" I murmured.

In that very moment, I wished I could make go away everything about that matter. The lies, the confusion about apologizing to my mom or not, and the feeling of guilt tripping me every time I looked at her, which it was quite frequently, since she worked in the restaurant in front of the one I was working in.

"What the name of that Howard guy, again?" Chloe asked taking me back from my thoughts.

"Stafford, Starr…I don't know, something like that" I said as we made our way out to the counter, supplies in our hands.

"Stark?" she asked eyeing me suspiciously.

"Yeah, that…stark"

"Really? And his name was Howard?"

"Can you not do that?" I asked back.

"Do what?" she replied keeping the look on her face.

"Look at me like I just told you something weird"

"Howard Stark? Seriously?"

"Do you know him? Because I wanna give him a piece of my mind, maybe yell a thing or two to the coward bastard" I said.

"Charlie, he's dead! He died like ages ago" she said matter-of-factly.

"What?"

"Howard Stark? Stark Industries? The Iron Man? Ring a bell? Do you not watch the news or what?"

"I haven't watched tv since I was 10, when my da- Erik sold it. Not that I ever cared much about the thing, anyways" I said.

"Seriously, though, his son is kind of famous and stuff"

"As if I cared about brainless celebrities" I said before registering her words as we kept folding napkins.

"The guy's a fucking genius, not exactly brainless; he's dating his assistant and stuff"

Then it hit me.

"Wait, you said son?"

"Yeah" she nodded.

"Fuck my balls" I hissed "I have a brother"

"His name's Tony"

"Tony" I repeated cocking an eyebrow.

"Tony Stark, the Iron Man"

"There must be a lot of Howards in New York, he can't be the only one" I said.

"Probably, but as far as I knew, only one whose last name was Stark"

"Fuck me"

"What's the problem?"

"Hello! You said he's famous!"

"So?"

"I'm kind of allergic to that people; I don't know how I've survived this long working here, really, I must be getting immune or something"

"Is she complaining about people again?" a male voice asked behind us.

"Hey!" Chloe greeted cheerfully her current boyfriend, a delivery boy, by the looks of his uniform.

"Hey, Charlie" he said.

"Hey, Jonah"

"He's name is Jake"

"Whatever, you'll probably have a Jim or Jack next week" I replied vaguely.

She glared at me, but I didn't cared, being friends since high school meant that I was used to those, just like I was used to see a new guy every week, at some point I realized it as pointless learning their names.

The day went dreadfully long, slow as ever, or maybe it was just my head running with too many thought at the time, more than usual, that made time feel so slow.

By the end of the day, however, I felt tired, the energy drained out of my system.

I looked at my second hand guitar in the corner, the old Luke, as I called it when I first saw it, was a little dusty, a week of not being used making visible. That was the thing with old stuff; it didn't take much for those to look abandoned.

Gently, I took Luke and cleaned it up a bit, the out of tune string asking for my attention. After I tuned it, I felt a little less drowsy, like the guitar had, somehow, given me back some of my energy.

I played for a little while, or so it seemed, but the clock on the wall said it had been three hours. My fingertips agreed.


	4. The Battlefield

**A/N: **Okay, a little warning (?) here: since I don't like all that much when things get a little too slow, I decided to sped up the rythim of this chapter. Our little Charlie here, currently 17, is not a damsel in distress, well,_technically,_ she_ is, _but she's also quite a tough cookie, you're warned!

Wow, I just noticed! My first 1k+ chapter! *does a happy dance* Wait, what if it reached the thounsand because of the a/n?

Don't mind my craziness!

-K

_**The Battlefield**_

"So that's the guy" I said after I finished watching the billionth video Chloe insisted I should see of 'my brother', how she insisted on calling him.

There are other Starks in the world, _that guy_ can't be related to me.

"What do you think of him?" she asked

"I think he's a spoilt little fucker with several and very severe daddy issues probably resent the bastard even if he passed" I replied.

"So, you don't like him?"

"He's a pain in the ass!" I explained "And I haven't even met him personally"

"Okay, maybe he has a little bit too many sarcastic remarks" she said tentatively as I nodded.

"But…?" I demanded after a few seconds. I knew her tone very well.

"You have far worse sarcastic remarks"

"Being sarcastic is an art, Chloe Isabelle, it takes an especial talent to master it" I said mockingly.

"Some of us are not very good at it, so what?" she said defensively.

"So nothing, why you get so angry about what I said?" I said half-heartedly.

"Forget it" she sneered "And don't ever call me Isabelle"

"Fine, whatever"

"I mean it, you know I hate-"

"What the fucking hell is going on outside?" I asked walking to the doors.

Out of nowhere, an alien looking thing started destroying everything near him, or her. That thing.

He/she/it was completely grey, it was rather scary, but no because of it height, but his ugliness.

For a moment I thought I trapped was inside Alien versus Predator.

"Fucking hell!" I scream when a few more of those things passed by me flying something that looked like a scooter.

The alien things were attacking the city, destroying everything they could and I was damn sure they were having a party from it.

More flying aliens passed near where I was standing, and I saw how a few of them killed a woman who was standing frozen in the middle of the street.

"Mom" I whispered as I sprinted to her job.

The few meters I ran made me realize the city was a complete chaos.

When I got there, the aliens where already making a massacre out of the costumers, a couple of them ere for the employees and I looked frantically around for my mom.

I bumped into her bosses, who looked rather scared, her usually perfect hairdo a complete mess.

"Jenn!" I called her, she ran towards me looking relieved "Where's my mom?" I asked her.

"Charlie, you have to help me, please" she cried out not even answering my question.

"Have you seen my mom?" I insisted taking her by the shoulders, mentally I thanked God for being taller than her.

She didn't answer again, but she looked behind me terrified, a shattered glass behind her showed me the reflection of one of those creatures aiming some kind of scepter at us; I pushed us to the floor seconds before that thing fired.

Maybe the alien thought it gun killed us, because didn't cared to worry any further about us.

From my new perspective I could see some human hand lying next to some rubble, I ran to it fearing it was my mom's hand, but when I moved what I recognized the door of the counter, I saw it was Annie, the cashier, friend of my mom, who was now dead. I felt guilty because I felt relieved that it wasn't my mom.

"Charlie!" I heard someone screaming.

When I turned around I saw my mom running to me, I did the same, feeling relieved, but before my arms could reach her in what it was meant to be a hug, her eyes looked empty, emotionless as her knees touched the ground, her body collapsing ungracefully in front of me.

I kneeled next to her, tears welling up in my eyes.

I wished it was a nightmare, it _had_ to be a nightmare, that couldn't be happening, my mom was not dead and I the city wasn't hell on earth.

An explosion from a near building woke me up and took me back to chaos, to reality.

I stood up, and the looked around fast, there was no time to lose, what if Chloe was in danger, too?

The aliens weren't exactly smart, since they kept killing each other by accident.

I walked towards one and took the scepter/weapon from his unmoving form. It had some sort of knife at the top, like those rifles from the French revolution. To be from another planet–or wherever it was-it looked just like old military weapons, oddly enough, it worked just the same, the trigger and the whole structure itself being really similar.

I took one final look to my mother, closed her eyes and kissed her forehead, most people near me were dead, so the only thing the aliens did when the passed by, was keep running.

Angry, I started shooting the gun, the few aliens that I hit falling to the ground immediately, I stabbed a few more, lost the count on it, I screamed in anger, the image of my mom's dead body in my mind reminding me it as real life and not my worst nightmare.

I didn't hear Chloe calling me, I didn't hear her coming closer, and the only thing I saw from one second to another was the way the knife of the weapon pierce her chest, the blood coming out really fast, the pain and confusion in her face evident, and being my hands the ones holding the killing weapon.

I froze in the spot, the sudden realization that I had just killed my best friend.

"Chloe" I whimpered "oh, my God, Chloe!" I cried out "Not you, too, please, not you, too!" I held her face between my hands; her eyes looked at me one last time before closing in pain as she hit the ground.

"This isn't happening" I whispered "My mom's alive and so is Chloe, I'm having a bad dream, just that, I didn't become a murderer, she's alive and well, safe and sound" I repeated to myself at least four times.

Round the corner, there were five of the aliens, I took another weapon from another one of them who was dead and ran towards them, even angrier than I was before.

When I killed the first one, I realized that they hadn't see me coming, one of them aimed his weapon to me, but I was faster and killed him in the spot, a second one attempted the same, so I repeated the action.

"Bastards" I murmured as I stabbed the third.

The two remaining tried to attack at the same time, but I was closer to one of them so I killed it quickly, then I shot the other.

Breathing heavily, I didn't feel tired, at all.

"Adrenaline rush" I thought out loud.

One flying scooter of the aliens passed rather fast by my side, then a few more not noticing me, after them, another one, but there was no alien riding it, it was a human looking guy, black hair, a _very_ weird green and black costume, with piercing green eyes. He passed in the scooter thing a little slower than the others, some kind of scepter in one hand, bigger than the weapons, he looks at me and took a quick look at the alien bodies at my feet, I guess he figure by my looks and the weapon in my hand that I had killed them and smiled at me, his smirk evil and mischievous, as if he liked what he saw, his grin was pure evil, and it felt like he could read every little dirty secret with just one glance, I narrowed my eyes defiantly, adrenaline still having power over me, in response, he winked at me and the sped away.

The whole city was a battlefield and that guy _winked at me_, like everything was normal to him.

_Maybe he's the one behind this_, I thought.


	5. 10 AM

**A/N: **Hey there! Today's chapter is up! I'll be updating on sundays, maybe not every sunday, but still... Anyway, enjoy!

PS: I'msorry it took me so long!

PPS: I'd love some review

-K

**_10 AM_**

_Her knees touched the ground before her arms could reach mine. The last word I said to her was 'liar'. I'd apologize, I wanted to, but I was never sure if I actually should. I miss her._

_Her face looked confused and pained. If only I had stop to look. She'd be here, maybe not exactly here, but around. I want to apologize, too. I miss her, too._

"It's been two fucking years" I said bitterly through my teeth.

"If you don't mind sharing, Miss Jones, we'd love to know what you have to say, although, I'd suggest moderate your language", said Professor Thomas looking at me disapprovingly.

"Nothing to share, professor" I said "Sorry if I interrupted you" I added monotonously.

"As if you were actually sorry for being so annoying" said Gabrielle next to time, I paid no attention to her "I'm talking to you, weirdo"

God, she's such a pain in the ass.

"Oh, sorry, Gabe, I thought you were talking to yourself"

She glared at me, but said nothing, thankfully.

After the class was over, Katie found me before I found her.

"Hey, there, zombie"

"Hey" I replied.

What would Chloe think of Katie? Would they get along? I mean, Katie is my dorm mate, a friendly, easy-going girl who's known me for nearly six months. Sharing a room it's quite helpful when it comes to getting to know someone, it makes it faster. Guess that's why it didn't take much for me to see her as a friend.

If we, eventually, end up being best friends, is that a betrayal to Chloe?

"Are you okay?" she suddenly asks.

"What? Yeah, I'm fine" I quickly respond.

"Uh-huh" she insisted, I raised an eyebrow.

"Drop it" I said giving her a warning look.

"It's been two years" she said.

"I know"

"It's been _exactly _two years"

"So?" I replied.

"Are you going to pretend it's just a common day?"

"Katie, please, not now"

"Charlie, I get it, really, I do, but if-"

"But if what, Katie?" I said slowly, cutting her off "I don't think you actually understand, I'm not asking you to either, but I'd really appreciate if you stopped all this concern and pity"

"It's not pity!" she snapped "I lost-"

"It _is_ pity when you feel sorry for a person and try to help said person out of that feeling" said a cocky, velvet-ish male voice.

He had an accent, so he was probably from UK or something.

Katie and I turned to see who the hell the noisy bastard was, and as soon as he saw us looking at us, he smirked, a book in his hand, a cup from Starbuck's in the other. A Starbuck's cup. Oh, that is so original these days. Fucking hipster.

A strand of ebony black hair fell to his face, covering for a brief second his blue eyes, with the hand he was holding the book he removed it.

"Oh, get lost, scone-chewer, nobody asked for you opinion" I snapped.

"Quite a temper you have, don't you?" he said in a mocking tone.

"Mind your own business, will you?" said Katie

"Quite a noisy bastard you are, aren't you?" I replied glaring at him

"I'm on your side, in case you haven't noticed; I was helping you" he stated, and then he shrugged.

Oh, the bastard.

"Did I ask for your help?" I said narrowing my eyes at him.

"I did not say you asked for it, but it did look like you could use a hand" he added taking a sip from the cup.

"Sure, because I'm a damsel in distress, right?" I rolled my eyes "I don't need your help, I don't even know you" I added, my fists closing at my sides.

"Oh, forgive my manners" he said leaving the book and the cup next to the backpack "Lucas Oxford" he added extending his hand for me to shake it, it felt to fake.

"Hitting on the new guy already, slut?" asked Gabrielle coming out of nowhere.

"Don't you have something else to do? Like, I don't know, obsessing over your weight or putting on some more make up to cover your disgusting skin?" I told her with false kindness.

She glared at me and left, with the other two girls who followed her around.

I heard the fucker stiff a laugh, I gave Katie a questioning look and we walked to our room, both of us having a free period until after lunch.

"Who the fuck was that?" I asked after I closed the door behind me.

"A psychiatric patient?" she offered.

I laughed at that.

"Yeah, probably he's escaping, that's why he came to America" I added amused.

"I know, that would explain the accent" she said "He was kinda cute, though"

"Whatever" I shrugged.

We walked in silence for a few minutes, Katie not trying to bring up the topic I was trying to avoid.

After lunch, the classes were just too boring for me to bear, outside of the campus; the people on the streets had lit up candles, and left flowers on little memorials all over the city.

* * *

The official memorial, the one with the names of all those who died that day, was completely crowded, so I went somewhere else.

My old neighborhood looked as shady as always, the junkies hiding in the same spots, the dealers doing their shitty business and the undercover cops evident as usual.

I looked up, to the window of our old living room; it had paper sheets on it now.

"So the buyers were fucking junkies" I thought out loud.

The cold air breeze against my face gave me some kind of mental peace. It was late, and the memorial was almost empty, there were mostly night owls visiting the place, me one of them.

With my index finger, I trace my mom's name first, the Chloe's, the atmosphere got colder, I shivered as I hugged myself to fight the cold.

"I didn't know you lost someone that day" a husky male voice said to my left "Was someone important?" he asked.

Great, the scone-muncher is here.

"Yeah" was my only response.

"I didn't lose someone that day" he said out of nowhere.

Does it look like I'm the mood for a fucking conversation right now?

"Then, what are you doing here?" I asked him.

"I almost died that day, I'm not sure of what I'm doing here, but this place seems to have a haunting and very strange way to attract me" he said.

"God, you have such a pretentious accent" I mumbled.

"I beg your pardon?" he replied, sounding amused.

"Whatever" I said walking away.

"A polite, normal person would have said she's sorry to hear that I almost died, or maybe asked how" he teased.

"Oh, forgive my manners" I mocked the tone he used earlier that day "But I have no particular interest in your little story, and most certainly, I'm not sorry that you almost died" I added imitating his accent.

He just laughed. What a weirdo.

"You're impossible" I heard him say before I left.

* * *

"Who's party is this, again?" I asked Katie as we walked to the roof of the building.

"Some guy named Dave or Daniel, not that I care" she said.

"Are we crashing?" I inquired amused.

"Not really, he has a crush on me, so…"

"That's what I call giving feelings a good use" I said.

"Charlie!" she scolded, and then we both laughed.

We walked in further, the place was crowded, according to Katie, we were an hour late, fashionably late, in her words.

A girl passed by our side, a cup of who-knows-what on her hand, and a cigarette in the other, and then a guy followed her, with a mischievous smirk on his face.

As we kept walking to the bar, I counted at least, six couples making out like their lives depended on it.

"Is it just me or people are even more desperate than usual to get laid?" I said looking around, wondering if they had tequila.

Katie laughed as she started to mix something for us.

"Oh, no, they are" she said "Here"

"Cheers!" I said.

"Aren't you even gonna ask what is it?" she asked me, eyeing questioningly.

"As if I cared" I shrugged.

"What if I gave you poison?"

"Cheers to my last moments alive, then!" I mocked.

"You're impossible" she laughed.

"I've been told" I murmured.

As the party went on, the more we danced, the more we drank, but I didn't feel all that much drunk that night.

"Ladies, such a pleasure to see you tonight" a husky, velvet-ish voice said to my right "Fancy a drink?"

"Not from you" I laughed.

"Ah, I see" he added "Do you dance, then?"

"Get lost, will you, Liam?" I said lighting a cigarette.

"Lucas" he corrected.

"Whatever"

"Jesus, get a room!" Katie said "How you got in, Luke? I thought you weren't invited"

"So his name is Luke now?" I asked

"He's not that bad"

"Really?" I said dryly.

"He told me he bumped into you in the memorial yesterday"

"Sure he did" I said glaring at him.

Fucking scone-muncher.

"You know, Charlotte, not everybody is your enemy" he said as matter-of-factly

"How come you even know my name?" I spat back "Never mind, I think I'll go for some tequila" I added standing up from the couch.

"Is she always like this?" I heard him ask to Katie when I got back from the bar, a bottle of tequila on one hand, some limes and a plate with salt on the other.

"Not really, only in this part of the year, it lasts around a week" Katie explained

"The anniversary of the battle, you mean?" he inquired

"Yeah, she told me she lost someone, but never said who"

"Oh, I understand" he said thoughtfully

"No, you don't" I snapped "None of you do, but that's okay, I'm not asking you to" I added sitting between them "What I'm asking now is for you to have some shots with me"

One shot down, a few to go.

Katie started to imitate a professor, to which we laughed, Mr. Tea time stayed with us.

We had more and more shots, and after the third bottle we shared, I was definitely drunk.

My vision was kind of blurred; I know I danced with someone, I made out with the same someone, and that I loved his perfume.

My head was getting clearer by minute, the night was dying, and so was the party; Katie and I were drunk as hell, Lucas had to help us go to bed, his face had an amused smirk when he was taking my shoes off; for a moment, I could swear his eyes were green, not blue.

"Katie" I called her "Katie, you awake?"

"Yeah, you?"

"Yeah, I think so"

"What is it?"

"Tell Lucas I said thanks for getting me to bed"

"You tell him when he wakes up"

"Don't want to, he annoys me"

"Then don't tell him"

"I won't, I hate the bastard"

"I'm here, by the way" he said "Just to make sure you don't puke and die asphyxiated on that"

"Shut up" I said.

"You shut up"

"No, this is my dorm, my rules"

"You mean _our_ dorm" Katie said

"No, Jones comes before Rhodes, so it's _my_ dorm, my rules, you both shut up"

"Charlie, you're drunk, go to sleep"

"You're drunk, too!"

"Ladies, as amusing this little chat of you can be, I'd suggest you both to catch some sleep, tomorrow won't be an easy morning"

"Shut up, tea bags" I laughed.

"Tea bags?" he retored

"I thought he was scone-muncher"

"Whatever, blah, blah, blah, boring, bye" I said.

Fucking hangover morning I had the next day.


	6. 1 PM

**A/N: **I'm so sorry for taking this long to post! Really really really sorry! But in my defence, we had to reformat the computer and I lost this chapter and the two after this one *cries* The good thing is that this whole story it's already finished in my head, so I just have to write it :D Maybe I'll post another chapter later this week, to compensate the tardiness or something.

Okay, I'm done rambling, enjoy the chapter!**  
**

_**-K**_

* * *

**_1 PM_**

"No, I don't remember it happening, so it never happened" I said simply.

"Oh, it totally happened" Katie replied, a mocking grin on her face "Tell her it happened, Luke" she told him.

"Don't involve me in your business, Katherine" he said dismissively.

"Help me out in this one, c'mon!" she added.

One thing was waking up all hangover and stuff, but something very different was waking up on a couch, between Katie and Mr. Tea bags, being told that the night before we kissed, spin-the-bottle involved or not, we –allegedly- kissed.

"See? Prime Minister here is not supporting you theory, so give it up, Kate" I said, half mocking her, half relieved.

"Some people are more fun to be kept on their toes, and not in the know" he mumbled

"I heard you, Mr. Darcy" I spat back "And I lost my appetite, I'm going for a walk, see you in class" I said as I walked away from the casino.

"Going somewhere, Coyote Ugly?" Gabrielle said as she bumped into me in the hallway.

"Oh, you made a reference! How cute. Keep trying, though, it wasn't good enough" I replied walking away.

* * *

The park seemed like a quiet place, quiet enough for me to go and do absolutely nothing.

Last week I ran into that guy Tony Stark and his assistant, they were having dinner in this new, fancy restaurant I started to work in, apparently, they were celebrating their anniversary or something, I didn't care, the thing is, I overheard them talk about the battle, and how he overcame PSTD, but that was not the point, he said something about Thor's brother and a plan of his to hurt every single one of them, the Avengers I mean, and take them down, one by one.

"Why do I even bother?" I thought out loud.

I didn't even know Thor had a brother.

I crushed the cigarette butt with my foot, and then lit another, I felt uneasy, and I didn't even know why.

"Hi there" a female voice said, I looked up and a brown haired woman, in her early thirties, brown eyes was standing right in front of me.

"Hey" I said monotonously.

"Can I use your light?" she asked sitting next to me.

"Sure"

"Are you Charlotte Sophia Jones?"

"Who's asking?"

"Come with me, please" she said, pointing at a black SUV, with tainted windows "I'm agent Hill"

"I'm not going anywhere with you" I said frowning.

"Miss Jones, we're not here to hurt you" said a red-haired woman, coming out of nowhere, with Katie following her.

"Katie? Why are you with them?"

"Agent Reed was in charge of reporting you whereabouts and keeping you safe" Agent Hill said.

"Agent Reed?" I inquired, and then laughed disbelievingly "Oh, now I get it, agent Reed pretended to be my friend, so she could keep you, people, aware of everything I do… Since when I'm a person of interest for the FBI or CIA or whoever you work for?"

"I'm Agent Romanoff, and we're from SHIELD, now, like it or not, you're coming with us" the red-haired woman said, taking me by the arm.

* * *

The room looked like one of those rooms they have in the movies for the criminals, an interrogatory room for people the worst kind, but larger.

"Agent Reed, I'd really appreciate if you could tell me the reason of why I'm here" I said coolly without looking in her direction.

God, I was pissed.

"Charlie, c'mon, don't be like that" she replied.

"Is Katherine even your real name?" I asked narrowing my eyes at her.

"Yes, it is" she answered after a moment "And I know what exactly happened to you in the battle"

"I don't need you pity" I gritted.

God, I was pissed.

"You're mad at me for lying to you; I get that, but-"Kate said, looking at me defiantly. Was she getting angry? The nerve!

"But we have a situation here, agent Reed, remember your place" said a black guy with an eyepatch.

"Yes, sir" she mumbled.

If for a moment a felt like I was in a movie about cops, now it was more like a pirate thing.

His presence felt heavy in the room, he was obviously an authority, but that wasn't what demanded respect about him, he was a little scary. Hella scary.

"Director Fury" he groaned, and extended his hand to me to shake it. I didn't.

He grimaced and seated in the other chair next to me.

"Please, be my guest" I retored.

"You're not under arrest, if that's what you got in mind" he spat back.

"I'm not?" I frowned.

"No, but there's a situation, and you're the only one who can help us"

"Me?" I asked confused.

"You are Tony Stark's sister, and now he's not exactly healthy after some things that happened with The Mandarin-"

"The what?" I interrupted.

"The Mandarin; he's not important now"

"Oh, you killed him, so not a threat anymore, right?" I said, amused, what's gotten into me? "That's what you people do, you lie and kill"

"Yeah, and you be thankful for it" he said slamming his hands against the table.

Quite a temper this Fury has.

"Anyways, Tony's blood is contaminated again, he needs a transfusion and a marrow transplant and you're compatible"

"And you just expect me to give it to him just like that?"

"Charlie, he's your brother!" Kate said, sounding angry.

"I don't know him, and I'm sure he has no idea I exist!" I replied.

"And that's not important right now, Charlotte" the red-haired woman said, the way she was looking at me was kinda terrifying "Yes, we lie, and kill, and even torture people to get them to say or do what we want, so you either help us, or we'll make you"

"Why don't you just kill me and get this over with? It'll be easier" I said, to which Kate shifted her weight from a foot to the other, looking rather uncomfortable "Oh, I get it now!" I laughed disbelievingly "You need a more permanent source; you need a blood bank for the guy"

"I'm outta here, when the little baby stops the tantrum, let me know" said Fury

"I'll follow you" added the red-head

Once they were gone, Kate sat next to me. The nerve.

"Charlie, my assignment didn't include being your friend, I just had to keep an eye on you, report you activity and that's it" she said in a quiet voice "I chose to be your friend, I didn't have to, but, I don't know, I liked your 'i-don't-give-a-fuck' attitude"

"Are you trying you boost my ego or something?"

"Is it working?"

"You bitch" I said amused.

"Are we cool?"

"Yeah" I said "But you owe me now, I'll have to keep your secret, you know" she chuckled quietly

After a silence, Kate said.

"Charlie, he's really weak now, you saw him on tv after the battle and before he went MIA, he's nothing like that anymore, he looks like a junkie going through the first part of rehab and stuff"

"That bad?"

"Yeah"

"But he's rich, he could buy someone else's blood and marrow"

"Yeah, well, but he's got a rare blood type and the worst compatibility ever, and not even money can't fix that"

"Oh, fuck it" I said after a while.

"You in?"

"Whatever" I shrugged.


End file.
